MTF Price Matters Mission
“I love MTF Price Matters,” writes the Toronto blogger known as Listen to Lena. “All of their merchandise is 100% authentic. “They offer awesome deals, plain and simple.”
She must be talking about a huge Eastern or US based chain, right? Not so! MTF Price Matters is a home grown British Columbia company based in Langley. It currently operates 13 retail stores from Kamloops to Delta, along with a booming online business, and the 14th store has just opened in Mission’s downtown.
“Mission has always been on our radar,” says MTF founder and CEO Mark Funk, talking about his newest location opening soon in the old Pharmasave location on the corner of First and James. “It’s far enough removed from our stores in Abbotsford and Maple Ridge, and there’s an exciting younger demographic here that we want to serve.”
There is little doubt that Mark’s decision will benefit more than Mission shoppers. His new store will be an enormous boost to the downtown core. Founded in 1985, MTF Price Matters operates with a simple and very effective philosophy. They take top name brands, combine them with the best in discount online shopping, and offer them at prices below wholesale. Brand names like Coach, Burberry, Canon, Movado, Garmin, Bose, Panasonic – the list goes on and on.
More than that, MTF Price Matters enjoys a stellar reputation for customer service. E-Bay gives them a 98.6% positive feedback rating and five stars for excellence in categories such as: is item as described, communication, shipping times and handling charges. The mix of on line shopping and physical store locations allows the company to take advantage of purchasing one diamond ring or Gucci watch along with large lots of other merchandise. “It’s amazing how much of our business comes from people browsing in our stores” notes Mark. “Having a physical presence is very important.”
But why downtown? Why not locate in a shopping mall? Mark acknowledges that the move to First Avenue, with its one way street and limited parking above the store is a bit of a risk. “Our rental contract with the landlord was a prime motivator,” he says, “but I also did my homework. I was pleasantly surprised to see the sales volume done by downtown merchants. That is very encouraging for us.”
Regardless of the details, Mark is fully committed. “We’re here for Mission,” he says. “We want to be part of this community.”